Cuticle shield



Patented July 24, 1951 UNITED STATES ear NT OFFICE The present invention relates to a new and useful improvement in finger cuticle protectoraparticularly of the type shown in the Breene Patent No. 2, 57,102. Improvement in the present case relates particularly to elements of construction, both for the purpose of more efficient manufacture and also to provide a more durable and rugged article which provides additional conveniences and utility over cuticle protectors of the prior art.

In the present invention the parts of the cuticle protector are preferably molded from plastic material and are readily assembled. The improvements in the present invention will be more readily understood from the description of the embodiment in the specification annexed hereto when taken in connection with the drawing illustrating the same in which Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the invention. Figure 2 shows a section taken substantially on a line 2-2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 shows a section taken substantially on a line 3-3 of Figure 2 and Figure 4 shows a top plan viewlooking down at the top of the article in Figure l with the jaws open and with an element broken away to show details below.

Inthe arrangement indicated in the drawings,

the device comprises three main units or elements, a supporting shell I and movable jaws 2 and 3 pivoted at the rear edges of the shell. The element i is formed with a forward bulging apron, section 6, enlarged and of convex shape towards the bottom 23, terminated by a flat end it, which is covered by material of the same nature as the shell in a flat plate portion '1. The

apron portion of the shell extends upward at the,

top and is provided with a flat head portion 8, with a projecting center section 8, raised about A above the top face of the head portion 8. The projecting boss is recedes sharply from the vertical face Hi. Just below the head of the shell I on each side, the edge of the shell as at Ii is cut away to the left, as viewed in Figure 1, as indicated at it, and then extends straight downward to the base along the edge it, thus providing a shoulder in the shell 5 at It which engages a similar shoulder it in the jaw 2. The construction on both sides of the device is symmetrical and therefore whatever is described in connection with the elements I, 2, and 3 on one side of the cuticle protector will be the same on the other side.

The jaws 2 and 3 are pivoted to the element l by pivoting posts or pins ill and it, which may i be molded as a part of the shell 1, as indicated 2 Claims. (01. 132-43) in Figure 3. The pins H and [8 project beyond the end face of the element I, and are joined by a horizontal web 9, to which a downwardly extending web 20 is attached, joined to a central post 2i, which holds the two-ended helical wire spring 22. The web I 9, the post 28, and the posts or pins H and i8, while projecting from the side or end edges of the shell i, actually have their support extending to the inner wall itself, as indicated by the extension 23, of the web to the inner wall of the shell just at the bond between head portion of the shell and the apron 4.

The jaw elements 2 and 3 are in the shape of a pair of levers with cylindrical bearing elements it and 26 engaging the posts or pins il and 13 respectively. These cylindrical bearing sections are sized to fit the pins, but are provided with openings along the inner surface of about 30 or more to permit the jaws to open sufliciently so that they may grip the finger. For this purpose the face 2'! of the opening may be made at about 30 or more with the horizontal web 19, when the protector is in its normally inoperative position, as occurs when the spring 22 forces the jaw open so that the shoulder it of the jaw engages the shoulder it of the shell. In this position the face 21 is at such an angle to provide the desired opening of the jaw whilethe top face 23 of the bearing opening is parallel to the web it. The spring 22 has one of its ends lying in a groove 29, formed on the inner face of the jaw 3. The spring will provide equal tension against each of the jaws so that they may be easily pressed with equal amplitude for opening. When the jaws are put in place on the posts or pins I! and 28, the ends of the posts or pins H and I8 may be flared outwardly or riveted over, as indicated at 30 and 3|, so that thereafter the jaws may not be removed.

The jaws are shaped at the top with side gripping edges 32 and 33, which give a knurled appearance but actually provide rows of horizontally projecting points, 34, and rows of projecting points at an inclination to the horizontal, as indicated by the cross lines 35 and 36 (see Figure 3). These gripping faces of the jaws are of equal width for the length of the clamping surface, but the jaw itself is so shaped that the gripping faces taper outward to the rear of the jaws, as indicated in Figure 4. In addition to this the jaw ends 32, and 33, are inclined at a slight angle outward in their downward direction from their top. The tendency of this action is to hold the skin next to the nail downward rather than forcing it upward over the nail and, therefore, in

the way of the brush when nail polish is being applied or other operations being made to the nail.

In using the cuticle protector, the jaws may be held open with either hand while a finger of the other hand is placed in the clamping surface of the jaws. The finger may be placed forward with the nail resting on the boss 9 at the center top of the head. The inclined clamping surfaces will keep the cuticles down and the horizontal and inclined clamping lines will hold the finger without gripping too tightly. The base of the shell will serve as a support in the palm of the hand.

With the fingernail resting on the boss 9, the end of the nail is in a position to be filed and further, it is held up away from the finger the so that nail polish is easily applied.

Having now described my invention, I claim;

1. A cuticle protector of the kind described hava supporting shell anda pair of cuticle gripping jaws pivoted to the shell cooperating with one another, said shell having a projecting boss at its top projecting above the top surface of the shell adjacent the opening; between the grip-- ,ping jaws at a position to engage the end of the fingernail.

2. A cuticle protector of the kind described having a supporting shell and a pair of cuticle gripping jaws pivoted to the shell cooperating with one another, said pivoting being effected by a pair of post elements extending from the shell with said jaws having cylindrical holes in which the posts engage for pivoting the jaws, a joining web joining said posts together, the cylindrical holes in said jaws being radially open along the inner side of the jaws to permit the joining web to extend therethrough and to form a sufficient angle with respect to the joining web to permit the jaws to swing open the desired angular amount to grip the finger.

EARL P. HANEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 869, 9e6 Tolman r -r w s Nov. 5;, 1907 2,219,9l46 G-iryin V Oct. 29, 1940 2,257,102 Breene f Sept. 30, 1 94 1 

